azra

ABU BAKR (R.A.)’S INAUGRAL ADDRESS

Abu Bakr (RadiyAllahu Anhu) mounted the pulpit as the Caliph of Islam. Then he spoke to the gathering as follows:

“O people, I have been elected your leader, although I am not better than anyone from among you. If I do any good, give me your support. If I go wrong, set me right. Listen, truth is honesty and untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes, as long as I do not get them their due, Allah willing. The powerful among you are weak in my eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others, Allah willing.”

Islam greatly approves cleanliness. According to the Qur’an:

“Allah loves those that turn to Him in repentance and purify themselves”
(2:222)

When man rues his mistakes and returns to the path of truth, this is called an act of repentance. As such, it purifies man’s inner self. Just as by using water we can cleanse the dirt from the body, so by repentance we can purify the soul—the inner-self. That is why Islam lays great stress on both these things.

One night, Caliph Umar (r.a.) as usual went in disguise with his companion Ibn Abbas (r.a.) to see the condition of the people. They strolled from one quarter to another. At last they came to a colony where poor people lived.
While passing by a small house, the Caliph heard a whispering talk within. The mother was telling her daughter that the amount of milk fetched by her for sale that day was very little. She told her that when she was young, and used to sell milk, she always mixed water with milk, and that led to considerable profit. She advised her daughter to do the same.

After receiving the surrender of Jerusalem and completing the tour of Syria when Caliph Umar (RadiyAllahu Anhu) was returning to Madina he led the prayer at Jabiah. On this occasion he delivered an address which is preserved in history. The major part of his address was:

Abu Hurayrah RadiyAllahu Anhu said that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

“The servant says: My wealth! My wealth! However, he gets from his wealth three things: What he eats and finishes. What he wears and makes shabby; and what he gives away and pleases others with. Whatever else is besides this, goes and is left for the people.”

[Related by Ahmad and Muslim]

This Hadith also emphasises and shows us the care taken by people in amassing wealth. Allah pointed this out in the Qur’an by His statement:

“And for the love of good he is strong.”
(Al-Qur’an 100:8)

WHAT BENEFITS THE DEAD

Abu Hurayrah RadiyAllahu Anhu narrated that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said:

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.

All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit.

The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died.

Many have heard the need for Allah’s mercy, yet not fully understand its meanings and implications to our existence and forgiveness in the hereafter. Comprehending its meanings, therefore, can help us to strive more through deeds and worship to earn His mercy rather than missing out on His blessings in this life and forgiveness in the hereafter.

To get an idea of its importance, let us first remind ourselves of the high status that Prophet Muhammad (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) holds before Allah.

Most of us, we never really intend to break a promise when we make one. That’s why it is a promise in the first place; a confirmation to someone of a future action we pledge to do. A verbal guarantee. As children, we grow up learning about keeping promises from our parents, teachers and the children’s books with their moral stories that mold our instincts to believe breaking a promise is morally wrong.

DON’T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH UNNECESSARY MATTERS

Are we making the best use of our time in this life? Are we to simply pass our time in whatever way possible so that we can get to the hereafter? How are we to balance our time across various aspects of this life? Is there a right balance? Are our life’s priorities purpose driven?

The divine decree: When facing difficulties, our weak faith can sometimes drive us to question the fairness of it all. In this context, we should remind ourselves that believing inal-Qadr (Allah’s divine will and decree) is one of the pillars of Islamic faith. As the Prophet (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said, it means belief in (1) Allah, (2) Angels, (3) revealed Holy Books (Quran, Bible, Torah, etc.), (4) His Messengers, (4) Day of Judgment, and (5) to believe in al-qadar (the divine decree) both good and bad.

Allah also says in the Quran:

We also know that some who face difficulties are punished for their sins. So, one may wonder how to distinguish whether a person is being simply tested by Allah or being punished for one’s sins. In this context, scholars have said that;

“(as Allah knows a person beforehand), the sign of calamity by way of punishment shows as signs of impatience and ingratitude in a person when a calamity befalls, and the sign of calamity by way of expiation and erasing of sins shows as contentment, acceptance, and patience in accepting the will of Allah until relief comes.”

As part of our Islamic faith, we believe that all matters are in the hands of Allah. However, for some of us our faith can get shaken during times of trials and hardships. It is during those times though that we should remind ourselves that a believer’s position and rank is raised in front of Allah and that such a hardship may very well be a sign of Allah’s love for the believer. This can help us in maintaining and even strengthening our faith.

Great Rewards Associated with Great Calamities

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet (Sallellahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

WHY DO MARRIAGES FAIL?

Every marriage – no matter how stressful, boring, or happy it may be – can use certain tips to give it a boost. This post reviews two pieces of advice that you could implement today for a better married life. If you’re not married, you too can benefit from the concepts as they are applicable across the board.

The first reminder has to do with becoming cognizant once again about our rights toward our spouses as obligated on us by Allah

Story of a Muslim sister who had a rough start in her married life … (All names have been deleted) –

When a girl enters marriage, the minimum expectations she has are that she would be able to establish a peaceful, and if possible, friendly relationship with her husband. If she has confidence about herself that she won’t pose any demands of wealth and riches on her husband, she further feels assured that he would be appreciative and there won’t be any scope for quarrels.

In these ayaat of Quran, Allah (SWT) highlights five characteristics of true believers.

“2. The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);

3. Who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and spend out of that We have provided them.

4. It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise).”

Ali bin Rabi’ah reported: In my presence, a beast was brought to Ali bin Abu Talib (RadiyAllahu Anhu) for riding. When he put his foot in the stirrup, he said:

“Bismillah”
(With the Name of Allah).

When he had settled himself on its back he recited:

“Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi sakh-khara lana hadha, wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin, wa inna ila Rabbina lamunqalibun.”

(All praise belongs to Allah Who has made this subservient to us, for we had not the strength to overpower it; and to our Rubb shall we return).

He then recited thrice: “Alhamdu lillah”
(Praise be to Allah),

SEEK ALLAH’S HELP IN OVERCOMING RIYAA

Allah, the Most Merciful, knows every human’s weakness and has given us the cure as well. The best means is supplication to Him. Allah says that we should say (which means):

“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)”
(Al-Fatihah: 1:5)

Before discussing some of the cures for this disease, let us focus on some of what may contribute to Riya in the first place.

“Weakness of faith (Eeman)” – When a person doesn’t have strong faith in Allah, he’ll prefer the admiration of people over the pleasure of Allah.

“Fear of criticism” – One might make a display of his good deeds to avoid being criticized. For example, a person might pray in the mosque out of fear of being criticized by people for not doing it.

PUNISHMENT IN THE HEREAFTER FOR SHOWING OFF:

Ignorance about how showing off will be punished in the Hereafter can lead one to commit this sin. We must realize that it cancels out the reward of all our good deeds, and brings the wrath of Allah. No sensible person would like to waste energy doing that which doesn’t bring any reward, and certainly wouldn’t like to invite Allah’s anger. One of the greatest ahadith in this connection is the following (part of the long hadith stated below):

Riya refers to doing things that are pleasing to Allah with the intention of seeking admiration from others. The intention in such cases, therefore, is usually to show off one’s good deeds to win praise and admiration of others. It amounts to practicing virtue out of vanity, with the aim of achieving popularity among people.

Riya makes us focus on earning appreciation from people rather than seeking Allah’s favor and acceptance. It makes us focus on people’s appreciation of our virtuous acts, which means we give importance to them, and not to Allah the Most Benevolent.

The Salaf have understood the Deen of Allah as well as the essence of this life and its inescapable leading to the Hereafter, so they felt aversion for the distractions and the tribulations of the world. They found no sleep and their heart kept away from desires. They kept above the insignificant concerns of life. Their biographies abound with stories that show their striving in righteousness, repentance and their strong will in worship and humbleness:

Al-Hasan al-Basri (r.a.) said: